The Secretary And The CEO
by fuckyeahchocolatevodka
Summary: {auverse, michael III & oc pairing, loosely based on current storylines} Aurora Stone and Michael Corinthos III reconnect through working at ELQ where he's a CEO and she's a secretary. With recent events in his life making him wary in love and Aurora having her own personal pains and problems, will they make it? Or will everything that can go wrong for them go wrong?
1. Chapter 1

Michael must have stood there in the doorway of the leggy brunette's office and watched her working for about ten minutes at least, before she looked up and caught him watching. He ducked out of sight, she shrugged it off and went back to work.

_'Smooth, Corinthos.' _Michael thought to himself as he made himself walk away from the brunette's office and into his own, flopping into his black leather desk chair, groaning aloud. Today had been one hell of a draining day. This year had been one hell of a draining year, he mentally added, as he stared at the clock on the wall in his office. Most of his employees would be going home to families, their own lives.

His was in shambles lately. Kiki and Morgan were back together and stronger, they were going to raise a kid together. Carly wasn't with Franco anymore, but she wasn't with Sonny, either. He'd lost his real father, AJ, to one of Ava's schemes and he'd realized in this past year, that sometimes, it's the people you love the most that are the ones who hurt you the worst.

There was a knock on his office door that drew him out of any further self pity for the moment. The leggy brunette stood in the doorway, watching him with a raised brow, her arms full of papers that she looked as if she'd spill at any moment. "Your files, Mr. Corinthos." 23 year old Aurora Stone said quietly, an almost thoughtful tone to her voice as she stared at him and wondered if he even remembered her from Madison Prep.

Probably not. She'd been one of the 'charity cases' the school took on, she'd been there solely on a scholarship and the fact that her aunt was the English teacher and head of the English department. They'd barely spoken then, but to say that she'd always been aware of Michael Corinthos III, well..

That would be a huge understatement.

She'd been head over heels in love with the guy since she was probably sixteen. And sadly, she hadn't really gotten past it, either. She just sort of ignored it now, considering they worked for the same company, ELQ, and she really, really needed the job.

Michael stared at her a few moments. Had he seen her somewhere before? She looked really, really, familiar... That's probably why he asked her seconds later, " Have I met you before?"

Aurora jumped at the shock, his voice breaking through her own quiet musings. She shook her head and said quietly, "Doubtful.. Your side of town doesn't mix with mine often. Why?" as she stepped into the room, picked up the files she'd have to go through and prepare for the next board meeting in the morning.

"You really look familiar." Michael mumbled as he got caught in her greenish brown eyes for a few moments, coughed as their hands brushed on the desk. He held out the folder she was reaching for and asked in curiousity, "What's your name?"

Aurora faltered for a moment, mentally kicking herself when as usual, under that warm brown eyed gaze of his, her brain ceased to work and her knees turned to jelly. She bit her lower lip and said quietly, "Aurora Stone."

Michael smiled and then blurted out, "Rory. I thought I knew you.. We had.. We had Anatomy together at Madison Prep. It's kind of hard to forget your lab partner when they get sick and almost faint." to which Aurora blushed a moment, bit her lower lip and mumbled something he couldn't quite make out before saying calmly, "I gotta get going. Maybe I'll see you around." and walking out the door before she could totally lose all composure, make a complete ass of herself.

She did pause in the doorway though, and said quietly, "I was sorry to hear about your dad.. He.. He was a pretty damn cool guy, we had AA together. He definitely touched my life. He talked about you a lot, Michael.. Err, Mr. Corinthos, I mean."

"It's Michael, sheesh.. We're the same age." Michael said as he held her gaze a few moments, wondered what was so wrong with her life that she'd gotten addicted to alcohol or something and wound up in AA. He smiled at her and she smiled a small yet soft smile back then said again, "I should really, really get going."

"I'll see you around." Michael said as the door shut behind her. He leaned back in his office chair and after a few moments, he did something he hadn't done in a really, really long time. He got out his old yearbook, started to thumb through it in curiousity, wondering if he could find her inside.

When he did, it startled him, because a letter fell from between the pages of the yearbook. He raised a brow, but picked up the letter from the plush carpeting inside his luxe ELQ office and opening it, he began to read it. And he realized somewhere towards the middle of the 3 page letter, that apparently, Aurora Stone had quite the crush on him during high school.

And he found himself curious about her now and wondering how he hadn't gotten to know her then, recalling that maybe he'd liked her just a little bit too. He stood and walked out of his office, the letter in his pocket, advice his deceased father AJ gave him shortly before the man's death rattling around in his mind.

Maybe things did have to get totally bad before they became okay even a little again.. And maybe things did happen for a reason, you did cross paths with certain people in life for a reason.. And he found himself curious.. What exactly was the reason he'd crossed paths with Aurora again after all this time?

He laughed at himself and shook his head as he got into his car and drove back to his apartment. The pessimist in himself wouldn't allow him to get his hopes up about anything or anyone yet, he'd had his heart broken, he'd been betrayed way too many times for that.

But as he drove past Kelly's Diner, he saw her little red 85 Corvette and he pulled in beside it, not sure why other than possibly being hungry.. The truth of it was, she'd been on his mind a lot lately since she'd started working at ELQ and he wanted to find out why..

Maybe tonight was as good a night as any to start that?


	2. Chapter 2

"Is this seat taken?" the male's voice cut through Aurora's thoughts and she looked up, blinking in shock to find Michael Corinthos III standing over her, looking at the booth bench opposite the one she sat on currently, in the process of eating a very messy double cheeseburger and watching people walk past the diner on the sidewalk. She raised a brow and looked up at him then finally after swallowing the bite she'd been chewing, she shook her head, nodded to the seat and said "Nah. You can sit.", gesturing to the booth.

Michael sat down and studied the menu quietly, then after a few moments said quietly, "What you said about my father, AJ.. Thanks.. Not many people felt that way about him. He wasn't.. He wasn't this bad guy or the screw up that a lot of people thought he was."

"Yeah. He was a decent guy, just made a lot of mistakes. Everybody does." Aurora stated quietly as she took a thoughtful bite of the hand full of french fries and then asked in curiousity, "Thought fancy pants CEOs took their meals at the Court though?" her eyes fixed intently on his as she licked her lips. Even now, just sitting here a few feet from him, crammed into a diner booth, her heart was hammering like mad, her legs felt like jello, just the sound of his voice, the way he was looking at her and everything were beyond more than enough to make her crazy, just like they'd been a huge distraction back then, when they'd both been students at Madison Prep.

"I'm not.." Michael started, letting it drop before asking with a slight laugh, "Do you just not like me?" as he studied her, curious.. Had he done something to her to make her act so skittish around him? Or was she skittish around men in general?

"No, no.. It's just.. we've never really been in the same circles, ya know? I mean even back at school, I was the drunks kid, you were the mob prince or something.. And here you are, sitting in Kelly's, across the booth from me? It's a little weird. I kinda had a thing for you back then." Aurora admitted, a hot blush springing to her cheeks as a blush matching it sprang to his and he nodded, dug into his pockets, held up the letter she'd evidently slipped into his yearbook back then that he'd only just found now and said "Yeah."

"Crap.. Err... You were going to Pentonville, I wanted to have it all out there, okay? That letter is.. Where the hell did you find it anyway? I told K not to.." as Michael realized just how the letter had gotten into his yearbook suddenly. Apparently, his half sister, Kristina had slipped it in there back then, when she'd come to visit him while he was at Pentonville, she'd thought he'd find it. She hadn't known the guards would confiscate the book, keep it until his release, only to have it be lost and only just recently returned to him now.. His younger half sister had been sort of friends with Aurora now that he thought back on it.

Another reason she'd looked so familiar and caught his eye when she'd started to work at ELQ a month or so before.

Aurora blushed, embarassed. She'd sworn Kristina Davis to secrecy, she'd told her to get rid of the letter. She'd only written the damn thing back then as a way to get out what she couldn't tell Michael herself because she was too chicken to do it. And apparently, all this time.. Or had he just found it? She had to hope to hell it was the latter, or suddenly, she was going to feel a lot more awkward.. Especially if he'd known about her and her 'crush' back then when he personally hired her almost two months ago.

"I found it earlier.. In the yearbook that Pentonville finally felt like sending me." Michael said as he watched her facial expression, curious. She looked like she'd bolt any second, if she could, like the very thought of his knowing how she might have felt about him back then scared the living hell out of her now. For some reason, he could almost hear his mother laughing, telling him mentally, _'Because she still likes you. Then again who wouldn't, Michael, you are my son and you are sweet and handsome and strong and amazing. Go for it. Things happen for a reason.' _but given how mad he was at her lately, and how even the thought of the woman and her endless drama gave him a headache, he ignored her voice.

"Ahh.. So you just read it?" Aurora asked, her heart racing, her hands shaking a little as she tried to keep her composure. If he found it.. For some reason, her own mind chose to mock her, in her father's voice at that exact moment, _'Girl, that boy don't want nothing from you but sex. You're a good for nothing slut like that mama of yours. Don't get those hopes up, girl.. What rich guy's gonna want a poor little fat nothing like you, huh? You're not even good enough to make a decent wife and mama to a poor piece of shit guy like Duncan.. The hell makes you even remotely think this guy wants ya?' _but she chose to ignore it, instead, she went back to focusing on her food.

Michael made her choke when seconds later he suggested, "So.. This doesn't have to be awkward.. I mean it's all in the past.. Right?" as he held her gaze a few moments. She looked like she wanted to say something else, he noticed, but instead, she nodded her head and said quickly, "The past, yeah.. No reason we can't be friends or something, I suppose, huh?"

"Not at all." Michael answered as she looked at him a few moments. He got this feeling, even as he said the words, that friendship might just be the very last thing he wanted from her by the end of getting to know her all over again, but for now, he kept the thoughts to himself.

"So.. Do you eat here often?"

"Every night almost.. It's sad, but I'm not the greatest cook." Aurora admitted sheepishly as she looked at her watch and then at Michael and asked, "What about you?"

"Actually, Aurora, I eat here a lot more than you seem to think I do." Michael admitted, laughed as he said "I can cook.. Just nothing to go home to."

"Right.. Yeah, I can see how eating out has it's advantages for single people like us." Aurora said as she finished off her burger and took a handful of french fries, ate them as she tried to think of something else to say, finally admitting, "I actually got an apartment on the first floor of your building. I see you going in and out."almost immediately, she wound up kicking herself as she said i t. _Now_, she thought to herself in irritation, _he'd probably think she was a stalker or something_, but it surprised her when he admitted, "Yeah, I see you coming in and out too sometimes."

"Really.. You do, huh?" Aurora asked, puzzled.

Michael nodded and added sheepishly, "Yeah, you take dance or something at the gym my adoptive father Sonny owned.. Right?"

"Yep. I take hip hop and ballroom dance at the gym.. I do yoga occasionally too." Aurora admitted, biting her lower lip as she looked up from her fries to find him staring intently at her. She asked with a slight smirk, "You box."

"Yeah.. I'm not that good.. I mean my brother Morgan, he's good, we just.."

"Don't box together much since he kinda took back his wife?" Aurora asked, making him grumble a little as she said sheepishly, "Sorry, it's just.. Small town, people know every little thing about everybody.." which made him nod and both of them say at the same time, "And I've always hated that."

They shared a look and laughed, then Aurora caught sight of the time and stood, said quickly, "I gotta get going. I go to visit my father.."

"I can walk you to your car, I mean i t's late out and dark." Michael offered as she stared at him a moment and finally shrugged then said "Why not. Not like it'll hurt. IT was nice, talking to you."

"It was nice talking to you. Maybe we can run into each other more often, huh?" Michael asked as he walked Aurora to her car, let her unlock her door and then held it so she could get in. He leaned in and said with a chuckle, "Not a bad car."

"It gets me where I gotta go. It's the only thing I got left of a life I'd really rather put behind me. Wouldn't have kept it if I hadn't needed a set of wheels." Aurora admitted as she started her car, hesitating and finally saying, "See you at work tomorrow, Mr. Corinthos."

"It's Michael." Michael called out as she pulled away, driving off into the night. He watched her driving away, Morgan's sudden appearance almost had him jumping out of his skin. "What do you want?"

"You seriously won't even stop to rethink letting me and Kiki live in the brownstone?" Morgan asked as he followed his brother's distracted gaze and raised a brow but then asked, "C'mon, I mean I have a kid, Michael. Even you're not really this cold hearted."

"Morgan, I can't do this right now, okay?" Michael snapped as he walked away, got into his own car and started the drive back to the apartment he lived in. He felt guilty, having thrown his brother and Kiki out of the brownstone, yes, but right now, he was hurting. He wanted them to hurt too. But he hated the guilt. "I'll fi gure something out.. Maybe I can let him take over my apartment.. The damn Brownstone's closer to the office than it is, I can afford it.." Michael mumbled aloud as he drove home, while also analyzing everything that he and Aurora talked about tonight.. He smiled a little.

Maybe there was a reason their paths crossed again after such a long time.. He'd like to figure out that reason.


	3. Chapter 3

"Seriously, Duncan. When I said we were done, I wasn't kidding. We're one hundred percent totally done, okay? Meaning that you should probably get your sorry drunk ass out of this apartment building." Aurora stated as she stood between the door to the apartment she lived in and her ex, who was stumbling drunkenly, slurring his words and doing all he could to make the biggest scene yet. And he'd made plenty of big scenes over the 2 and a half years they'd dated.

The elevator across the lobby opened and Michael stepped off. Aurora groaned and wished that she could vanish into the floor even if it was just for a few moments, but apparently, Fate wasn't having that. Michael walked over, looked from Duncan to Aurora and asked casually, "Is there a problem?"

Duncan studied the suit wearing male that just walked over and snorted in laughter, blurted out, "You and this whore? Have fun with that, buddy.. She might be all arrow straight now, but give her time.. She'll be right back in that bottle, right back to workin at that club down by the docks.. Hell, this time she might even just go ahead and whore herself out."

Michael didn't think, he just swung. The two men started fighting and he got the better of Duncan by at least half his strength until finally the fight broke up and he growled, "If she doesn't want you around, man, leave her the hell alone."

Aurora gaped and groaned, tried getting between the two men, finally the smallish scuffle that started broke up and she looked at Michael and said quietly, "I had that. Just.. It's.. Everything he just said about me, Michael, is true. I'm damaged goods, okay? And I can take care of me." which Michael studied her for a few moments, quietly, pondering what exactly Duncan meant by some of what he said.

Aurora winced at the black eye that was forming on his face and stepped aside, letting Michael into her apartment. She busied herself with finding ice and putting it in a zip loc bag, then held it out to him as he sat on the well worn and pretty damn comfortable brown leather couch in her living room. For a few moments after, it was quiet and she paced, finally stopping in front of Michael as she said quietly, "Duncan was right.. What he said out there.. I.. I've noticed you seem to run into me a hell of a lot more lately and if you're thinkin you wanna get to know me, Michael.. Probably not a good idea."

"Who says?"

"Just trust me. Never gonna be good enough for anyone, okay? Everyone was right about me, Michael. Look, we can be friends, that's fine, I just.. More than that I'd probably fuck it up nine ways to Sunday." Aurora warned.

Michael looked up at her, tried not to laugh before butting in to say quietly, "First of all.. I'm no better.. I'm just getting out of one hell of a messy thing with my brother's former wife of all people.. I've done worse things than you have, probably.. And I've enjoyed being friends with you the past week or two, Aurora. As far as everyone being right about you, Aurora.. I don't see it. Who says that stuff anyway?"

Aurora shrugged, continued to look at her hands before answering quietly, "There's a lot you don't know about me, Michael.. I'm not that shy sweet little girl I used to be in school, okay? Life happened." as she held his gaze, held the ice pack in place on his eye as she winced again and said quietly, "But I don't want to not be your friend.. I just.. I know I probably can't offer much more."

"So we're friends, huh?" Michael asked, a teasing grin on his face as he looked at her, held her gaze so that she'd had to look at him. Aurora laughed and nodded then said quietly, "Yeah. We're friends.. I mean I've gotten used to running into you after work at the Rib."

"Yeah, we're the only non alcohol drinkers Mack has that come in." Michael joked as he looked at Aurora and then said quietly, "For what it's worth.. The past is the past.. But what was he talking about?"

Aurora paced a few moments and then sat down on the couch next to him, took a few deep breaths and said quietly, " Well, for starters, he was talking about me working at Vaughn's for a year or two.. That's how he and I met.. Like I said.. I'm not some angel or something.. I've done things.. I used to be this totally different person.. Things happened and I woke up, realized that who I was becoming, more and more like the mother that abandoned me and my dad when I was four.. I didn't wanna be that girl anymore.. So I got clean.. I went back to college, I got a job.. Duncan though.. He's pissed because I walked out on him.. He was one of the biggest things that was keeping me down.. He treated me like shit, always hurting me.. He's the reason I lost my baby. I couldn't keep living like I was then.. Now that I'm straight again, t rying to straighten my life out, he's constantly popping up, trying to scare me into coming back to him." as she looked at him, waiting for the disgusted look, waiting for him to get up, walk out of the apartment.

Michael, instead, sat there in thought. Then he said quietly, "You haven't killed anyone before. I have. Everybody makes mistakes, Aurora, that's what I said a few minutes ago. And I have my own things I've done lately too.. This grudge against my brother and the way I'm so angry at my mom.. So I can't judge you, trust me. We're still friends."

Aurora nodded and said quietly, "You really didn't have to get into a fist fight with the bastard though.. I coulda gotten him, trust me. I've done it before."

"You shouldn't have to, Aurora."

"It's my mess, Michael, okay?"


	4. Chapter 4

Carly sat watching Michael with the brunette, suspiciously. Who was the girl? And where the hell did Michael meet her? She'd been seeing the two around together almost joined at the hip for the better part of a week or two now, give or take and as Michael's mother, Carly, well.. She wasn't sure how to feel about that. Josslyn saying her name had her looking over at her young daughter, Josslyn bossily informing her mother, "I think she's pretty. And she makes Michael laugh."

"That may be, Jossy, but.. This girl might not actually like your brother. Not like he certainly seems to like her." Carly mumbled aloud, mostly to herself before a throat clearing above them had her jumping a little in her seat and Olivia informed Carly, " I think the girls kinda sweet.. She's not one of those pedigreed types, real down to Earth." to which Carly rolled her eyes a little. It wasn't that down to Earth wasn't a good thing or anything, it was just that Carly.. She hadn't ever been left out of her sons life as much as she had been recently, and while she couldn't blame her son for it, it hurt her like hell too.

She stood and walked over, Josslyn in tow, grumbling about how her mother was going to 'make a scene' and 'ruin everything' just like always. Carly gave Josslyn a hurt and warning look and Josslyn fell silent. Carly cleared her throat and Michael froze in mid laugh/bite to look at his mother. "We need to talk."

"I have nothing to say to you,actually, Mom." Michael said as Aurora looked back and forth between the two quietly before speaking up and saying "Mike.. She's your mother.." and giving Carly a wary look as she stood and said awkwardly, "I'm gonna.. I'm gonna go on in to the office, Michael. I'll get those files to you." before practically bolting out the doors of the diner. Michael glared up at his mother and asked pointedly, "Are you happy now? You ruined my lunch date. She's already skittish enough, you have to come over here and do what you always do."

"Michael, I.. And if she's that skittish, Michael, maybe she's got something to hide. I just wanted to walk over and talk to you. I miss talking to you." Carly said as Josslyn sat down next to her brother and leaned in, whispered playfully, "She's pretty."

"She is." Michael agreed with Josslyn with no hesitation, ignoring his mother's pleading look. He knew that they'd have to talk sooner or later about everything she'd done to him lately, he just couldn't talk to her about it now. He had a hard time even being aro und her right now.. And when she scared Aurora away just now, he'd been a little irritated.

He could look at her and tell that's the sole reason she walked over just now, to do what she was good at and meddle in his life, intimidate people he wanted to be friends with, that he might want more than just friendship with at some point down the line.

"She is pretty." Carly agreed, mostly trying to keep the whole conversation neutral. "I was going to ask if you two were coming over for our usual Christmas junk food fest. Please? Josslyn really wants you there. Both of her brothers, actually.. She's being punished in all this too, Michael."

Josslyn glared at her mother when she wasn't looking but said quietly, "I just miss you and Morgan and Kiki coming over.. Mom says that Morgan and Kiki have their hands full with the baby, but I miss you both.. And I could help, I swear I'd help."

Michael looked at Josslyn, looked at the door Aurora practically ran out of moments before and said quietly, "We'll come over. But we might not be able to stay too long, okay?"

"Yes.. I just wanted you to come. I knew you would, Michael, you're the best big brother ever." Josslyn cheered as she hugged her brother then said quietly into his ear, "I don't blame you for being mad at mom. I am too. I mean she tried to make a serial killer my stepdad."

"I know, scout."

"Are you ready, Joss?" Carly asked as she looked at Michael a few moments and finally said quietly, "Sonny and I are done.. And I'm done with Franco too.. I just.. I want my boys back. I want us to have a family Christmas.. And if you want to bring that girl.."

"Her name is Aurora, mom, and yeah, I'll see if she wants to come too.. I mean we're not dating, if that's what you're so concerned about.. Aurora doesn't.. She doesn't know I like her." Michael said as Carly looked at him a few moments and then asked, "Is there any reason you're not telling her? I'm just curious."

"I don't know.. I mean I don't want to be hurt again, I'm sick of making mistakes. She's got a lot going on right now too.. Maybe taking things slowly is the best for now." Michael said as Carly shook her head and said "If you don't tell her.."

"Seriously, Mom.. Just leave it alone.. And do not meddle." Michael said sternly as he managed a smile for his mother. It wasn't his usual one, it was smaller, tighter.. But he was trying. He wanted his family to be okay again, there was just so much that had happened in the past.. He wasn't sure yet if that would ever actually be a reasonable thing to wish for, or if it could even happen..

But Aurora seemed to want him to try talking to his mother just now, given the way she'd rushed out of here.. So maybe he'd try. Maybe he should just try with everything.. Holding back was only frustrating him. He couldn't hold back anything he felt lately for much longer, he knew he'd explode if he did..


	5. Chapter 5

"She wants me.. To come to your family's Christmas dinner? But.. I mean why would she, though? She really did not seem to like me earlier when we met, Michael." Aurora asked as she grabbed two sodas from her refridgerator, held one out to Michael.. They'd gotten into this pattern lately, dropping by each other's apartments after a long day at work.

Michael took the soda as he shrugged and said "Actually, Aurora, it was Joss that invited you. I honestly don't think my mother ever actually intended to, but Josslyn did it before my mom could stop her.. I wouldn't even be going, really, if it weren't for Joss. I mean she's the one caught in the middle of everything." while taking a sip, looking at Aurora and asking with a smile, "So will you come with me?"

Aurora thought it over.. Should she really be doing this? She wasn't the best person for Michael to get mixed up with, anybody could clearly see that, hell, his own mother probably had earlier this morning when she'd run into them in town eating. She bit her lower lip and stole a look at him as he was covertly trying to snatch a sugar cookie she'd baked from the plate of them and after playfully smacking at his hand, she said with a shrug, "What the hell, right? Besides, you came with me to visit my father in Pentonville.. I mean granted, you were cutting all ties with Sonny, your adoptive father, but having you there still helped me feel relaxed."

"And it helped me, having you there. What are friends for anyway, if we can't support each other?" Michael asked, covertly stealing yet another sugar cookie, pretending to look all innocent about it as he looked at her, thought to himself, _'Just wish I could figure out a way to tell you I want to be more than just your friend, Rory. I mean being your friend, it's great.. It's helped me through a really tough time lately but I'm really starting to feel more than just friendship towards you. I think you feel it too, but I've been hurt so much..'_

Aurora gave him a playful eye roll and nodding to the cookie he held between his lips she joked, though she didn't realize that maybe she was more or less flirting than joking until later on, "Gonna share that? Or do I have to steal a bite?"

She raised to tiptoe, took a bite out of the opposite end of the cookie.. Their lips brushed and she jumped back, shocked at herself. Shaking her head, she explained to Michael, "I,umm... Sorry.." which had him shaking his head, looking at her and then saying calmly, quietly, "You do realize you don't have to apologize for every single time you accidentally touch me or something, right? Did Duncan make you like that?"

She looked at her feet.. It hadn't been just Duncan, of course, her father being the way he'd been when she was younger and before he got shipped up to Pentonville for God only knew what helped a lot with the way she was always nervous, afraid that people didn't want her around, or were going to hurt and use her in the long run.. But Duncan had played a large part in why she was the way she was, honestly. She sighed and Michael tilted her chin up so she had to look at him. "You don't have to apologize for everything.. Nothing that happened to you is actually your fault."

"I could've fought back more, something.. I should've known better but I didn't.. Anyway, enough about that.. What else did your mom say earlier?"

"Just the usual.. That she was sorry, that she should've thought more about what was going to happen when the truth came out. I'm done with it, honestly. I mean she kept the secret, who really killed my father. And she expects me to just bounce back.. She's always expecting me to just bounce back.. I actually am not good at that, by the way." Michael admitted as he looked down at his hands, thinking about the few things he still hadn't actually told Aurora that he'd went through. It was always hard for him, discussing the rape, discussing the coma.. He still worried a lot about the rages and the blackouts returning one day, and they were a big part of the reason why he hadn't let many close to him with the exclusion of Abby, Starr and Kiki.. All attempts had been failures, and until lately, he'd been feeling lonely, feeling like maybe he should just be content to have his job, a roof over his head and his health.

Now that he'd been getting closer to Aurora lately, he did want more.. He was just scared to reach for it and try to make it work out. And he knew that keeping the secrets he kept weren't going to help doing that any, and that soon he'd have to talk about it.. She'd pretty much told him everything about her own life by this point.. He just.. He wanted to be sure first..

"You okay, Michael?"

"I was just thinking." Michael answered finally as Aurora looked at him a moment, getting the feeling that just now, he'd been about to tell her something, but he'd kept it to himself. "You can talk to me.. About anything, okay? Because trust me, Mike.. You've heard everything about me now, the good, the bad and the really, really fucked and you didn't judge.. You just listened.. I'll do the same.. Just let me in.." as she sat down on the edge of his lap, looking into his eyes, concerned for him. She added as an afterthought, "Your mom though.. If I were you, I'd tread with caution.. I mean who lies to their kid that many times? At least mine just left and didn't bother coming back.."

"Yeah.. But still, the way she left, the person she left you with, Aurora.. What she did was just as bad as what my mother did to me.. Let's talk about something else, huh?"

"Sooner or later, Mike.. You're going to have to just let it all go.. I hope you'll talk to me when you decide to. I won't judge.. I'll just listen."

Michael nodded and the two started to watch the Christmas movie that was playing on tv, he smiled a little to himself when he felt Aurora smoosh herself against him on the small ultrasuede couch in her living room. His arm slid around the back of the couch where she sat, his hand rested on her shoulder.

And it felt cozy.. Right, even.


End file.
